1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to inspection of articles, and in particular, to inspection of articles related to the manufacture of semiconductor devices. More specifically, the invention relates to the inspection of articles used in photolithography during the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Current demands for high density and performance associated with ultra large scale integration in semiconductor devices require submicron features, increased transistor and circuit speeds, and improved reliability. Such demands require formation of device features with high precision and uniformity, which in turn necessitates careful process monitoring.
One important process requiring careful inspection is photolithography, wherein masks or xe2x80x9creticlesxe2x80x9d are used to transfer circuitry patterns to semiconductor wafers. Typically, the reticles are in the form of patterned chrome over a transparent substrate. A series of such reticles are employed to project the patterns onto the wafer in a preset sequence. Each photolithographic reticle includes an intricate set of geometric patterns corresponding to the circuit components to be integrated onto the wafer. The transfer of the reticle pattern onto the photoresist layer is performed conventionally by an optical exposure tool such as a scanner or a stepper, which directs light or other radiation through the reticle to expose the photoresist. The photoresist is thereafter developed to form a photoresist mask, and the underlying polysilicon insulators or metal layer is selectively etched in accordance with the mask to form features such as lines or gates.
From the above description, it should be appreciated that any defect on the reticle, such as extra or missing chrome, may transfer onto the fabricated wafer in a repeated manner. Thus, any defect on the reticle would drastically reduce the yield of the fabrication line. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to inspect the reticles and detect any defects thereupon. The inspection is generally performed by an optical system, using transmitted, reflected, or both types of illuminations. An example of such a system is the RT-8000(trademark) series reticle inspection system available from Applied Materials of Santa Clara, Calif.
There are several different known algorithm methods for inspection of reticles. These methods include: xe2x80x9cDie to Diexe2x80x9d inspection, in which a die is compared to a purportedly identical die on the same reticle; or xe2x80x9cDie to Databasexe2x80x9d inspection, in which data pertaining to a given die is compared to information in a database, which could be the one from which the reticle was generated. Another inspection method involves Die to golden dye which is a dye chosen as a reference for inspecting wafers. There also is a design rule based inspection, in which the dye has to fulfill some line width and spacing requirements, and feature shapes should fit predefined shapes. Examples of these inspection methods, and relevant apparatus and circuitry for implementing these methods, are described in various U.S. patents, including, inter alia, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,805,123; 4,926,489; 5,619,429; and 5,864,394. The disclosures of these patents are incorporated herein by reference.
Known inspection techniques typically use imaging the articles with a large magnification onto a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The imaging technique requires the article to be illuminated. The brightness of the illuminating source is a key factor in the ability to speed the inspection by reducing the integration time of the camera. As the patterns on wafers get smaller, it becomes necessary to use smaller wavelengths in order to be able to detect the patterns. This is due to the fact that the physical resolution limit depends linearly on the illumination wavelength and due to interference effects which require that the inspection be done at a wavelength similar to the one used in the lithographic process. As the wavelengths get smaller, conventional incoherent light sources like filament lamps or gas discharge lamps do not have enough brightness, and the light sources of choice become short wavelength lasers. The coherence of the laser, together with the roughness and aberrations of the surfaces as well as the patterned article along the light path, creates an artifact known as speckle, which is a noisy pattern over the image of the article.
Speckle causes problems in detection of the surfaces of articles being inspected and causes false alarms because of the non uniformity of the light pattern hitting the detector. Detection accuracy is degraded. Also, images taken of inspected articles are degraded. The problem is an acute one in this type of article inspection, because the power provided by coherent light is essential, among other reasons, as a result of losses stemming from the detection process.
The just-discussed problems are not unique to inspection of masks, photomasks, and reticles. There are known wafer inspection techniques which employ coherent illumination. In such systems, speckle can have an adverse impact on yield and performance of the resulting devices, and so also must be addressed with great care. Examples of known wafer inspection systems employing coherent illumination are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,699,447 and 5,825,482. The disclosures of these patents also are incorporated herein by reference.
When such systems are used to inspect patterned wafers, the speckle phenomenon can arise, if the spot size used for illumination is not much smaller than an element of a pattern on the wafer. However, in some circumstances, such as oblique illumination (in which the coherent light source is directed to the wafer at an angle), the spot size will be sufficiently large to cause speckle. Reducing the spot size will reduce system throughput and will require working at a wavelength that is smaller and different from the one used for imaging the article for example during the lithographic process. Consequently, as can be appreciated, there is a tradeoff between enduring speckle and optimizing detection sensitivity/throughput. Therefore, it would be desirable to solve the speckle problem, and thus enable the use of an increased spot size, and thus improve throughput.
A comprehensive description of speckle phenomena can be found in T. S. McKechnie, Speckle Reduction, in Topics in Applied Physics, Laser Speckle and Related Phenomena, 123 (J. C. Dainty ed., 2d ed., 1984) (hereinafter McKechnie). As discussed in the McKechnie article, speckle reduction may be achieved through reduction in the temporal coherence or the spatial coherence of the laser light. There have been various attempts over the years to reduce or eliminate speckle.
Another article, citing the above-mentioned McKechnie article and addressing the same issues, B. Dingel et al., Speckle reduction with virtual incoherent laser illumination using a modified fiber array, Optik 94, at 132 (1993) (hereinafter Dingel), mentions several known methods for reducing speckle based on a time integration basis, as well as based on statistical ensemble integration. With respect to the time integration methods, involving scanning of various planes of the imaging system and generating uncorrelated image patterns to be integrated by an image detector, the article identifies some possible drawbacks, such as a long integration time, or introduction of additional optical systems to support the scanning process.
Among the methods involving a reduction in the coherence of the beam, both Dingel and McKechnie discuss the introduction of a dispersing element, such as a grating, a screen mesh, or a moving diffuser, by itself or in combination with another rotating diffuser, into the path of the illuminating beam so as to produce a random phase modulation over the extent of the light beam. Other known techniques involve the passage of a pulsed laser beam through a carbon disulfide cell and further through an unaligned fiber optic bundle, or the use of liquid crystals interposed in the path of the light beam, the crystals being moved by electric field excitation.
However, as the reticles become smaller in size and the patterns shrink, it becomes more difficult to manufacture them with no fine anomalies and small defects. With diffraction effects, the detection becomes more complicated as well. Therefore, the danger exists that small defects may go undetected, which could cause problems in the related wafer manufacturing process. One proposed solution to the current situation involves the use of a laser light source emitting low wavelength laser beams, preferably in the deep ultraviolet (UV) region to illuminate the article. The laser source would preferably emit short pulses of light, with a preferred range of 5-50 nanoseconds. None of the methods and systems discussed above is equipped to offer a high level of speckle reduction for low wavelength laser beams so as to ensure accurate defect detection. Also, the above methods and systems do not provide a reliable solution for short laser pulses because of inadequate moving speed of the dispersing elements.
As alluded to previously, speckle also is a known phenomenon in the wafer inspection area. U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,912, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, identifies this problem, and provides some proposed solutions. However, as with other known and proposed speckle reduction techniques, these proposed solutions do not address particular problems resulting from the need to work with extremely small features, and the consequent need to employ coherent illumination sources with very low wavelengths.
Speckle reduction devices, interposed in the light path between the article surface and the detector, also can be expensive. For example, interposing a fiber bundle in accordance with one of the techniques described above could require as many as 10,000 fibers with different properties, such as length, in the bundle. These fiber bundles would be extremely large in size, and consequently would be expensive. It would be desirable to find a solution that did not need so many fibers.
A similar problem would pertain with respect to the use of a diffraction grating. The finer and larger in size the grating, the more expensive it would be. It would be desirable to find a solution, using diffraction gratings, but which did not require exceedingly fine gratings.
As can be appreciated from the foregoing discussion, there is a need in the art for a method and system for reducing speckle when inspecting articles using pulsed laser beams at low wavelengths, including the deep UV region.
In view of the foregoing, one feature of the invention is the provision of an optical system for reducing speckle during inspection of articles used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of an optical system for reducing speckle in inspection systems operating at low wavelengths, particularly in the deep UV region.
A further feature of the present invention is the reduction of speckle in inspection systems using pulsed laser beams, particularly using pulses in the 5-50 ns region.
To provide the foregoing and other features, to overcome the limitations in the prior art described above, and to solve various problems that will become apparent upon reading and understanding of the following detailed description, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for reducing speckle during the inspection of articles used in the fabrication of semiconductor devices, especially wafers, masks, photomasks, and reticles.
In accordance with the present invention, the inventive apparatus is constituted by a coherent light source, such as a laser, which outputs a coherent light beam along a light path. In one embodiment of the invention, two optical fiber bundles are disposed sequentially along the light path, each bundle having a predetermined number of fibers of different lengths, which may be arranged within the bundle. A first bundle receives the light beam and outputs several intermediate beams, one beam for each fiber of the bundle, each intermediate beam being imaged into all of the fibers of a second fiber bundle. Each of the fibers in the second bundle outputs an output beam, which then is used to illuminate the area under inspection of the article. Various optical devices for homogenizing the beam and focusing the beam, as are well known in the art, may be interposed at appropriate locations along the optical path.
As a variation on the preceding embodiment, the refractive indices of the fibers within the bundle may be varied. Using varying refractive indices may change the optical paths sufficiently to avoid the need to vary the lengths of the fibers as greatly.
As a further variation on the preceding embodiment, the fibers in the bundle may have the same or varying nonlinear characteristics. One attribute of employing varying nonlinearity is that the lengths of the fibers may not have to be varied as much. Having fibers of a consistent length may be advantageous from the standpoint of implementation.
In accordance with a further embodiment, the apparatus may be using one or more gratings disposed sequentially along the light path. The gratings operate similarly to the fibers, as discussed above.
In accordance with further embodiments of the invention, the apparatus may be constituted by more than two fiber bundles; more than two gratings; a fiber bundle and a grating, in either order; or some further combination of fiber bundle(s) and grating(s), in any desired sequence.
An advantage of each of the foregoing embodiments is that the individual elements are either simpler or smaller, and hence less expensive, than having a smaller number of larger, or more complex elements. For example, using two fiber bundles with 100 fibers in each bundle, with each fiber in the first bundle along the path providing an output to each fiber in the second bundle, will yield 100xc3x97100=10,000 different variants, just as if a single bundle with 10,000 different fibers were used.
A similar advantage applies with respect to the use of both gratings which are very good for introducing small optical path length variations, with fibers or light guides, which are convenient in introducing large optical path length variations.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, an integrating sphere, having a first, input aperture and a second, output aperture, is disposed along the light path, the first aperture receiving the light beam and with the second aperture outputting a light beam, formed after the light beam has its path changed by being reflected within the integrating sphere. The integrating sphere may be constituted by two such spheres, with one being disposed concentrically within the other. The inner sphere would provide further reflection of the light within the integrating sphere.
The just-described embodiment is simpler, in some sense, than the previously described embodiments, but has certain disadvantages with respect to efficiency, based on currently available reflective materials. This is particularly so with the two-sphere embodiment. As these materials improve, it is expected that the integrating sphere approach will become an increasingly attractive alternative.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is constituted by an electro or acousto-optic modulator disposed along the light path and having an input surface for receiving the light beam and an output surface for transmitting an incoherent modulated beam to the area to be inspected. The high frequency bandwidth at which the modulator operates will alter randomly the optical wavefront phase of the input beam sufficiently to reduce or eliminate speckle. This embodiment has something of a disadvantage as compared with the previous embodiments because, for the shorter wavelengths such as deep UV, -optical modulators are relatively expensive. Since this solution works very well for sources with long coherence lengths, it may be used in combination with a fiber bundle or a grating, which work well at reducing speckle from sources with small and medium coherence lengths.